A gas turbine engine typically includes a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. Air entering the compressor section is compressed and delivered into the combustion section where it is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate a high-speed exhaust gas flow. The high-speed exhaust gas flow expands through the turbine section to drive the compressor. Gas turbine engines installed aircraft can include a fan section driven by the turbine section to provide additional thrust. Ground based industrial gas turbine engines typically drive a generator through a shaft.
The compressor section typically includes a plurality of stages made up of rotating blades and fixed stator vanes. The stator vanes are supported within channels defined within a case and are exposed to circumferential aerodynamic loads in direction that potentially causes rotation of the stator vanes. Anti-rotation features are therefore installed to prevent rotation and maintain a desired orientation of the stator vanes. Such anti-rotation features can require specially fabricated features within both the case and on some of the stator vanes that can complicate assembly and increase cost.
Gas turbine engine manufactures are continually seeking ways to reduce cost and simplify assembly and therefore is desirable to develop anti-rotation features that reduce cost and ease assembly.